The Path to Redemption
by Castelsolo
Summary: I always wondered what would happen to the Teen Titans if one of their members were to die. Starfire is the most influential person on the team so I chose her. I hope you enjoy this tale of death and hope.
1. Raven's Answer

Teen Titans

Characters:  
Original: (Good) Aqualad, Beast Boy, Cyborg, Robin, Raven, and Speedy.  
(Bad) Slade  
New: (Good) Toshi  
(Bad) Chanlah (AKA, Death)

Authors note: Every line that starts out with the person's name is a thought by that person.

Disclaimer: I do not own any thing from the Teen Titans. The only thing I own from this story are the characters I personally made up.

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**The Path to Redemption **

Prologue  
Robin laid down in his bed trying to get some sleep. He had a lot to think through. Although it had been at least a week after his last battle with Slade, he knew life would never be the same. Slade, he had killed the one person in the world that Robin would give his life for. As sleep slowly came to him, cried in despair. Sleep spread over his body, but his restless mind had too much on it for him to realize that he slept.

Suddenly, he was in the junkyard. This was where it had happened, where his life came to a disaster. He looked around. He saw each of his friends. Raven was already out of the battle, as well as Cyborg. Beast Boy was weakening. Robin ran forward, but stopped just three feet from the battle. He watched helplessly as Beast Boy was knocked out. There was only one Titan left to fight Slade…Starfire. Robin knew that she wouldn't be able to handle Slade by her self. The fight lasted only a few minutes before the fate of it was clear. Slade held Starfire, unconscious, around her neck. Robin knew that in one second he could snap her neck. Slade looked at him, taunting him, and then he walked over to Robin.

"It's a shame that you, of all people, could not even come near me," he said. "Why is that Robin? Perhaps it is because of my new weapon…" Slade stopped in front of him, close enough to touch, but when Robin tried to reach out to punch him, he was completely immobile. "What's the matter Robin? Unable to attack me? Isn't it a shame-" Slade looked at Starfire. "-that the greatest Titan of them all-" He looked at Robin again. "-isn't even strong enough to protect the person he loves." Slade smiled at Robin…a taunting smile. Then, he snapped Starfire's neck.

"No—" Robin screamed as he jerked up in his bed. Then he put his head in his hands.

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**Chapter 1****  
Raven's Answer **

ROBIN: Starfire…how, why did this happen to you. Why did you die. Why did he kill you? Why didn't I kill Slade. Why did I LET him kill you, destroy you? Why was I unable to stop him? What cruel fate was it that I was forced to watch you die, and not be able to do anything about it? I couldn't help you Starfire and I'm sorry, but I swear, by my life, that I will avenge you. Slade will not live to celebrate any victory he thinks he has won.

Robin ran through the training course at Titan Tower. He punched a target. His mind was lost in thought. The next target he hit harder, and ended up cutting his hand; but he didn't cry out. Instead, he relished the pain, felt that he deserved it. Stopping, he stared at the sky.

"Robin?" a voice he recognized as Raven's said. "Is everything ok?"

"No," he said as he turned around to face her. "And nothing will be ever again."

"Robin," Raven said quietly, barely loud enough for him to hear her. "It wasn't your fault. Slade had a new weapon, one that immobilized some of us. That was how he had defeated me and Cyborg so quickly. You are not the reason Starfire is dead, and if you are the reason, then so are the rest of us. None of us were there to help her as she fought Slade."

"You didn't see her die though. You didn't go through the pain of it like I did."

"I know that Robin, but—"Robin interrupted her, distress evident on his voice.

"I WAS FIVE INCHES FROM HER RAVEN…and yet I couldn't even touch her. I failed her Raven. I failed her." Raven looked down at her feet.

"We all did." Robin looked at her as she faced him again, and he couldn't believe what he saw. Something on her face glistened…a tear. "I wish that somehow I could have changed that moment, but I can't, not by myself, but I know someone who can."

"You do?"

"I need your help to reach him though. I need everyone's help. Will you help me?"

"Of course…I'd do anything to get Starfire back. Who can bring her back?"

"Toshi Nagahara."

RAVEN: Poor Robin. He wants to believe me, to believe that it wasn't his fault that Starfire died. I wish that I could help him, but to tell the truth, I don't even know if Toshi exists. Why did I tell him that Toshi could help him? To have so many questions that no one could answer; that would tear down even the strongest person. I wish that I could help him to stop blaming himself. Maybe if Toshi were real, then Starfire would be back and he'd be happy again.

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This is my 1st Teen Titans story so please Review. I'll take compliments or flames, but flames will help me to write it better,  
Castel Solo 


	2. Plan of Action

Teen Titans

Characters:  
Original: (Good) Aqualad, Beast Boy, Cyborg, Robin, Raven, and Speedy.  
(Bad) Slade  
New: (Good) Toshi  
(Bad) Chanlah (AKA, Death)

Authors note: Every line that starts out with the person's name is a thought by that person.

Disclaimer: I do not own any thing from the Teen Titans. The only thing I own from this story are the characters I personally made up.

* * *

**The Path to Redemption **

**Chapter 2****  
Plan of action**

ROBIN: I can't believe it. It's too good to be true. Star, Raven knows a person who can bring you back. We can be together, just like I promised you. I'll still repay Slade, but I have to go with Raven first. Then we'll find Toshi and he'll bring you back. I'm so happy for us. I love you Star, sweetheart.

"So I need all of your help to reach him," Raven told the four Teen Titans. "He is held captive by Death. I don't know how powerful Death is, I don't even know what he looks like, but I know that he is strong."

"Ooookay," Cyborg said. "You want to tell us how you even met this Toshi guy?"

"I didn't," she said. "I heard of him through one of the old Massi books we found last month. He is said to be the African god of life, and he submitted himself to Death in order to save all of the Massi tribes from a great plague. The books didn't say what either of them looked like. It had said though, that they were guys. It also told where they were…the under levels of the Azarath."

"Hold the phone," Beast Boy cried out. He started pacing. "You-" he pointed at Raven, "-expect us to just go with you to your homeland that we have never been in, to help you rescue a guy that no one here has seen, so that we can find out if some Mari myth is real or not?"

"First, it's Massi, not Mari, and second yes, I was. After all, if you truly are Starfire's friend, you'd try anything to bring her back."

"And you're going along with it?" he asked Robin.

"Why not?" Robin replied. "I love Starfire, and if there is anyway to bring her back, I am going to try it. I thought you were her friends as well," Robin said with a threatening edge to his voice.

"We are, we are," Cyborg said defensively. "Don't go on treatin' us like we're the bad guys. What BB was sayin' was that we don't even know if the Toshi guy exists. I mean, I personally don't want to waste my…our time…chasing something that may all just be a big folktale. I love Star too, but if we go and Slade takes over while we're gone and this Toshi doesn't exist, then not only will we have wasted valuable time, but the world will be doomed. I'm not willing to take that risk right now especially not with Slade at his strongest."

"WE HAVE TO BRING STARFIRE BACK CYBORG!" Robin shouted at him.

"I KNOW THAT! But you need to think about other people besides yourself."

"Starfire is not myself."

"WON'T YOU LISTEN? Starfire may not be able to come back, no matter what we do. I know how much you hate Slade. Now think Robin, what if he decides to take over New York while we're chasing down some possibly fictional character?"

"As much as I hate to admit it Robin, Cyborg's right," Raven said.

"Fine, then you can stay behind with Beast Boy to defend New York," Robin said to Cyborg. "I'll call for Aqualad to help you and Speedy to help Raven and me." Robin turned to Beast Boy. "You ARE still friends with him, right?"

"He is," Raven said. "He hasn't gone around the tower screaming about how he and Aqualad aren't friends any more and that he hates him."

"What!" Beast Boy said. "I so don't do that!"

"Maybe not anymore," Cyborg cut in. "But you sure use to."

"What is this, pick on Beast Boy day?"

"Nope, that's Tuesday-" Cyborg pulled down a calendar and pointed to the picture of Beast Boy's head on the following Tuesday. "-right after make Beast Boy eat meat day." Then he pointed to a picture of a chicken on the following Monday. Beast Boy just glared at him.

"Dude," he said. "There is no way I am ever, EVER going to eat ANY type of meat. I am a complete and full vegetarian, and nothing is going to change that." He crossed his arms and turned his back to them.

"What about that time after you got covered in chemicals and ate my breakfast," Robin said.

"It might have been cer—"

"Which was HAM and EGGS." Beast Boy looks sheepish.

"Well that didn't count. I wasn't myself, remember."

"Sure you were," Robin said sarcastically.

"Listen," Raven said. "We don't have time right now for you to be goofing off."

"Raven's right," he said. "I'll go ahead and call Speedy and Aqualad. Meanwhile-" he looks at Cyborg. "-you go and fix my bike. If you recall, it was torn up in the last battle with Slade." As he said that name, he felt a new surge of anger towards him. "Raven, you start finding a way to get us into Azarath. Let's get to work."

CYBORG: To see the anger on Robin's face then, I could tell that he hated Slade now more than ever. I'm sorry I had to say what I did to Robin, but it's true. I know that he was in love with Starfire. Oh yes, he thought he was hiding it, but we all knew he loved her more than as a friend. I want to help him, but he won't let anyone touch Slade, he never was much for doing that. Something from his past, as well as what happened last week, it made him want to personally take down Slade, and I think that is his weakness. I'm his friend, but Robin needs to learn why his friends are there.

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Please Review,  
Castel Solo 


	3. Finding the way

Disclaimer: I do not own any thing from the Teen Titans. The only thing I own from this story are the characters I personally made up.

**Chapter 3****  
Finding the Way**

ROBIN: Slade, I could kill him for what he did to you, Star. I hope that you can forgive me for letting him kill you. I will find this Toshi man and I will defeat Death and bring you back. I love you Star, and I always will. I can't wait till I can see your lovely face again.

"Have you found out a plan for retrieving this Toshi from the under-levels of Azarath yet Raven?" Robin asked Raven. Aqualad had arrived the day before and Speedy that morning. Raven looked up from the map of her home dimension.

"I'm no closer to finding it than I was when you asked me FIVE MINUTES AGO."

"Calm down Robin," Speedy said. "We don't need your thoughts being all fogged up when we actually do go to get that guy from wherever he is."

"You're right Speedy. I'm just so worried and nervous. I want to help Star, and I want it done so that she won't leave me ever again."

"But you can't help her if you're not think—"

"Got it," Raven interrupted him. Every one in the room, those people being Robin, Cyborg, and Speedy, crowded around Raven and the map she had on the computer. "We follow the Chlanté road till we reach the fifth turn off, and then go eight miles through the Postel cave. After that, we dive into the Janule River and swim down to the bottom where we'll find the Maylin cave that leads to the underworld. Once we get there then we simply follow the path to the inner, inner core and defeat Death. Then we take Toshi to the top of Ranek Mountain where he will bring Star back to life and we take her home with us. Got it?"

"I would," Robin said. "Except for the fact that I don't have all that great a memory."

"Funny, you seem to remember all the times you fought Slade very well," Cyborg said.

"Knock it off, Cy," Speedy cut in before Robin could return the insult. "We're going to do this, and we're going to do it as a team. Cy, tell Beast Boy and Aqualad that y'all are now the only defense against Slade." Cyborg nodded and started to walk out. Then spun around.

"Forgot to tell you, Robin. I fixed your bike. It's good as new."

"Thanks."

"And I put a navigator in it so you can find your way to all of the places Raven said."

"Thanks." Once again, he started to walk out. Once again, he turned back to the others.

"Good luck Robin."

"You too, Cy." The friends quickly hugged and then Cyborg left. "Ok then." Robin was all business again. "Let's do this…for Starfire." The three friends held hands and then walked down to the Garage. Robin grabbed his bike and Speedy grabbed his. Raven downloaded all the directions into the C-Nav. (Cyborg-Navigator) and pulled open a portal to Azarath.

"You ready to go?" She asked, as she got onto Speedy's bike.

"I was born ready," Robin answered. He revved the engine of his bike and sent it through the portal. Speedy and Raven followed him. Once they got through, Raven closed the portal. Their adventure had begun.

SPEEDY: I am so worried for Robin. Even though I've barely seen him, I am afraid of what he is thinking. Cy told me that he has a thing against Slade, and when I came up, I saw that it was worse than he had said. Robin was looking for revenge, and there is no one easier to defeat than an angry opponent. I am going to watch out for him while we are on this mission. I cannot let him hurt anyone that he doesn't need to hurt. Robin must be careful, and I must be watchful.

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: ( No Reviews so far. I need your opinion. The people are important to me. Please R&R, both Flames and compliments are good, but I prefer Flames,b/c I'm sorta lost on this story now. HELP, and REVIEW. 


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